"Our decision on 1611 is based on our desire and hope that we can continue to develop Main Street," he says.

Says Tregoning, it's not financial viable to keep the building occupied with tenants. He also isn't prepared to say what the space will become once the building is razed.

"We said it will be better for the building to be vacant so we can move forward when we know what that will be," he says. "We're not going to sit and do nothing. Our commitment is to continuing to develop Main Street."

Tax records show the building dates back to 1900; the National Register says it's from 1885. There's also some question about its facade -- how "modern" it is. The Dallas Public Library has a Main Street photo taken in 1950 that clearly shows the sandstone exterior, which was common amongst downtown buildings from the late 1800s (see: the Scollard Building, the National Exchange Bank Building). And it's there in old postcards of the Praetorian, two buildings over.

Noah Jeppson, a former downtown resident and historian, reminds that it's not immediately visible in old Praetorian photos because the "two buildings between it and Praetorian were removed for the addition" in 1961. He says it's likely the sandstone exterior may have been briefly covered up at one point, but believes it is the original.

"For a time the building was part of W.T. Grant, the building that was demolished recently on Elm Street," says Jeppson. "It housed various retail establishments over the years."

Tregoning says the exterior isn't original -- or, at least, it's "far less accurate" than it was more than a century ago. But despite its history or its place as one of the few remaining "two-part commercial blocks" left downtown, Headington is free to do with it what he wants. Though it's considered a contributing structure to the Dallas Downtown National Register District, it has no local historic designation, which means there's nothing to protect it from the wrecking ball.

There is no date set for demolition; they're still awaiting an engineer's report, and some residents still have to finish out their leases. The building will be replaced, Tregoning says, by something "consistent with what we've done," referring to the retail stores surrounding the Joule along Main Street, including Traffic LA. "It will be retail engaged with the street." Nothing more specific. Not yet.